Artyom
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ahck.bsky.social
Artyom
@ahck.bsky.social
370 followers 1.5K following 28 posts
Senior programmer at Brace Yourself Games. Making UIs and systems on Phantom Brigade.

Over 10 years of experience wearing hats including tech art, gameplay programming, tool dev, UI, VFX and env. art. Vancouver, Canada. He/Him.

🌐 https://art-z.dev
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ahck.bsky.social
More tests with my SDF widgets. The entire setup is one component type repeated with different settings. "Out of focus" bits are shapes with rounding and outer glow matched to base color (so outer glow can be used as pseudo-blur). Super happy with the setup, can't wait to make some UIs with this!
February 28, 2025 at 9:46 AM
ahck.bsky.social
Pixels begone!
Zoomed image of a pixelated rounded shape, crossed with a red line.
February 28, 2025 at 6:14 AM
ahck.bsky.social
Tried a quick project implementing SDF based vector widgets into our fork of NGUI (got really tired of making raster sprites with baked shadows, corners and other bits). Super fun! Huge thanks to @iquilezles.bsky.social, his articles and samples are an absolute wealth of info on this subject!
February 28, 2025 at 6:13 AM
ahck.bsky.social
Even the areas deep underground can be thrilling to explore. The sheer geometric detail and attention to detail makes some moments look like urbex video footage. To me, firefights, mutants and loot are kind of secondary to sheer rewards of discovering new locations here. A really unique experience.
A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. An two story tall underground hall with steel lined columns is flanked by two balconies. Dim light streams from above, illuminating a tree in the middle. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. A flashlight illuminates a decrepit underground corridor. Dozens of pipes are visible overhead, green paint peels off the walls, the ground is covered in dust and debris. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. A crimson red light illuminates a circular tunned covered in soil and debris. A fluorescent blue light is seen in the distance. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. A dim light from a vertical tunnel illuminates a corner of an underground bunker. Flowers and grass cover the illuminated corner. A ladder leads up.
December 26, 2024 at 1:11 AM
ahck.bsky.social
The way light bounces inside these structures is absolutely stunning. I bet this didn't come "free" and the devs went to great pains to get Lumen to look this good. In some spots you can see how structures are built from a myriad of watertight modules, prob. to ensure good SDF and min. leaks etc.
A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. A silhouette of a person is seen in front of a window, with bright light streaming in. Bright green foliage illuminated by the sun is visible outside. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. A corridor with peeling pale blue paint is illuminated by soft bounced light from windows on the left. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. A courtyard is illuminated by bounced sunlight. Two enclosed skybridges and two tiled walls frame the space. The ground is overgrown and covered in broken tile. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. A giant sports hall is illuminated by bounced light from an overcast sky. The walls are covered in peeling blue paint. A ferris wheel surrounded by trees is seen through the fog outside.
December 26, 2024 at 1:11 AM
ahck.bsky.social
Can't stop taking screenshots in STALKER 2. I'm repeating myself but the environment work is just stunning, with an absolute wealth of faithfully replicated architecture and incredible attention to detail. Every tuft of moss, brick and mosaic tile has been given so much love. Hats off to the devs!
A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. An overgrown rooftop of the apartment building with a concrete structure in the middle. CNPP is visible through the fog in the background. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. An overgrown city square with a leaning tree in the foreground. A large apartment building reflects the sun in the distance. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. Corner of the Prometheus theater with a large relief mosaic in the foreground. The building takes up most of the shot, with tiled walls disappearing into the greenery on the sides. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. A shot from a dark interior with bright sunlight streaming in, with a large doorway framed with brick and tile sitting in the middle of the frame. The doorway is surrounded by a large broken window. An overgrown patio is seen in the background.
December 26, 2024 at 1:11 AM
ahck.bsky.social
Also, as a train nerd, STALKER 2 is heaven. All the bits and switches are recreated with incredible attention to detail; the tracks have perfect proportions; lots of train cars and locomotives are modeled with interiors etc. There are even unique SFX for footsteps over the wooden ties! 🔥🚂🔥
A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. A old train track switch with wooden ties is in the foreground. The ground is covered in dense grass. A few train cars and station buildings are seen in the distance. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. Two railroad tracks with concrete ties converge into the distance. A rusty ChME3 locomotive is seen in the foreground, surrounded by tall grass. Catenary wires hang overhead. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. Two railroad tracks with wooden ties diverge in the shot. Metal cargo box cars are seen on the right along with an old excavator. A semaphore sits on the ground in the foreground. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. A large railroad switch with concrete ties splitting the track into two occupies most of the shot. The two tracks enter a round concrete tunnel in the distance.
December 3, 2024 at 2:44 AM
ahck.bsky.social
STALKER 2 is a total masterclass in atmosphere & environment art. I'm stopping every minute to take screenshots, every location is positively stunning, especially with the beautiful skies & bounced light. There's a staggering number of unique props, interesting buildings, biomes and cool vistas.
A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. Weathered railroad crossing with catenary wire seen overhead. A rusted van is seen to the right, with a forest in the background. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. Two railroad tracks converge in into the distance. A concrete bridge crosses over the tracks, connecting the two overgrown slopes on either side. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. An eerie red sky dimly illuminates a half-dome concrete tunnel. A screenshot from STALKER 2 videogame. An overgrown brick building with a slanted roof is seen in the foreground, flanked by trees and metal structures.
December 3, 2024 at 2:27 AM
ahck.bsky.social
STALKER 2 is everything I hoped for so far, we're so back omg. Some rough edges but I'm sure they'll be ironed out. Blown away by the insanely detailed and lovingly crafted environments. Stopping to admire every wall, garden, fireplace and table. It's a lovely space to explore, immaculate vibes.
A screenshot from the STALKER 2 videogame. A weathered single story building with red brick walls and slate roof is in the middle of the frame. It is surrounded by lush grass and trees. An overgrown retaining wall and a flooded dirt road are seen in the foreground. A screenshot from the STALKER 2 videogame. An old village home with wood plank siding and a slate roof is seen in the middle of the frame. The environment is covered by lush vegetation. A trellis overgrown with vines is seen to the right.
November 21, 2024 at 10:11 PM
ahck.bsky.social
If you see this, post a walker!
A wide angle 3D render of an angular armored mech. The design towers over the camera and is covered in a gray pixel camo with lime green accents. The armor is lit by a red light from the right and a cyan light from the left.
November 10, 2024 at 9:40 AM
ahck.bsky.social
I think these images are from around 2011. I modeled a bunch of stuff from the Yanov station near Pripyat and was trying to use then recently released CE3 SDK to render them. It was really fun to puzzle the scene together from limited photo references and compare it to the level in Call of Pripyat.
A screenshot of a STALKER inspired 3D scene. A blue diesel locomotive with yellow railings occupies most of the frame, lit from the right by the dim setting sun. Part of a cargo crane is seen overhead. A screenshot of a STALKER inspired 3D scene. A wide angle lens looks up at a railroad switch tower. The tower is T-shaped, with concrete columns clad in red brick supporting a thin central structure. The structure on top is covered in gray shingles. A forest is seen in the background.
November 4, 2024 at 3:33 AM
ahck.bsky.social
Very excited about STALKER 2 releasing soon! I think I started my path in gamedev when SoC released in 2007. I remember counting days till its release in HS, poring over the files and trying simple config mods right after. Worked on a mod wiki; learned 3D to make cooler mods, etc., etc. Time flies!
A screenshot of a STALKER inspired 3D scene. A rusty flatbed cargo train car sits in the foreground. A switch tower is seen in the background, surrounded by trees. A screenshot of a STALKER inspired 3D scene. A wide angle lens looks up an fire staircase. It is attached to the exterior of a concrete block high rise. A screenshot of a STALKER inspired 3D scene. A wide angle lens looks up at the facade of a concrete high rise. The windows and balconies on each floor are connected with metal siding. A screenshot of a STALKER inspired 3D scene. An overcast scene in an abandoned rail yard. A cargo crane stands on top of a blue diesel locomotive in the background. A white brick shed is seen in the foreground.
November 4, 2024 at 3:19 AM
ahck.bsky.social
Back in 2014, the Material Design guidelines were just released and I was very into their aesthetic. I built high perf. pixel perfect replica of the beautiful shadows seen in the Google docs for Unity NGUI. I later found out that the guideline images were Illustrator mockups and weren't real time. 😅
October 26, 2024 at 9:20 AM
ahck.bsky.social
The environment was fully walkable and it was oddly satisfying to climb kilometers of strange staircases and questionably designed bridges to reach objectives. Skydiving the other way was also pretty fun. I built some neat stylized FUIs supporting the experience, will post more videos a bit later.
October 26, 2024 at 3:29 AM
ahck.bsky.social
An old project inspired by "Blame!". I was interested in replicating the stark B&W aesthetic and the vast hostile architecture from that manga in a playable vertical slice. Had a decent prototype working in 2017 with an endless procedurally generated env. using 50+ modules.
#gamedev #indiedev
Black & white view of an industrial sci-fi environment. The camera looks down into an artificial chasm measuring over a kilometer, flanked by enormous walls. A spiral staircase without railings descends into the chasm. Black & white view of an industrial sci-fi environment. The camera looks up into a cylindrical shaft. A spiral staircase without railings winds upward, throwing a shadow onto the walls. Black & white view of an industrial sci-fi environment. The camera looks forward, with the viewer situated on walkway encircling a vast cylindrical chamber. Concrete walls and floors are chipped and covered in dust. Square liner plates break up the outer wall, making the environment reminiscent of a train tunnel turned upright. Black & white view of an industrial sci-fi environment. The camera looks up at an enormous artificial cliff covering most of the sky. The part closest to the camera consists of columnar concrete shapes extending up for over 500m. Tiny staircases can be seen on the cliff in the distance. The concrete cliff continues upward for over a kilometer and goes from a positive slope to a vertical surface, then to a negative angle further into the distance, leaning over the scene.
October 26, 2024 at 3:21 AM
ahck.bsky.social
His name is Juniper so I had to do this... ✨🫐✨
Close up photo of a shorthaired tabby cat named Juniper looking into the camera. A large blue fabric cone with a star pattern is on the cat, making his cheeks look bigger. A small jar labeled "Juniper berries" is in the shot next to the cat.
October 25, 2024 at 10:32 AM
ahck.bsky.social
Designed this fella in 2017 for what became Phantom Brigade. Heavily inspired by Frost from FM4. The frame has wide shoulders and long joints to allow mounting lots of differently shaped armor without clipping. Pavel Efimov designed a ton of amazing armor for this frame over the course of PB dev.
A tall mech design depicted from the front, clad in blocky armor. The mech holds a raised rifle in its right hand, has the body facing slightly away and the face towards the viewer, assuming a common armed hero pose. Art from Phantom Brigade videogame. A tall mech frame depicted from the front, clad in blocky armor. The mech frame is skeletal in appearance and has armor equipped. The image showcases what's underneath the armor from the first image in this post. Art from Phantom Brigade videogame. A flat color rendering of the mech foot. The foot is depicted from six angles in 3 different rotations, showcasing how the ankle joint is put together to provide all of its degrees of freedom. Art from Phantom Brigade videogame.
October 21, 2024 at 8:02 PM
ahck.bsky.social
Replays in PB also aided with QA (for catching some anim. bugs), were indispensable for creating trailers and allowed players to rewatch exciting moments from multiple angles. They are lossy due to memory limitations and perf. considerations, but I'm still pretty happy with them!
#gamedev #indiedev
October 17, 2024 at 10:32 PM
ahck.bsky.social
One of my favorite features in PB: last turn replay. With everyone moving and firing at the same time, it's easy to miss important events. The game records all particles, physics and state changes, allowing you to scrub through the completed turn with a video player inspired UI.
#gamedev #indiedev
October 17, 2024 at 10:26 PM
ahck.bsky.social
Another clip of a Phantom Brigade boss fight to follow up the previous post. Those spider mechs had a bunch of different modular shapes: this one is covered by heavy shields and gets faster the more of those shields you destroy.

#gamedev #indiedev
October 2, 2024 at 7:58 PM
ahck.bsky.social
Boss fights are my favorite recent addition to Phantom Brigade. It was very fun to iterate on the behavior of these giant units and the different UIs visualizing their attacks. It's surprisingly satisfying to counter attacks straight out of RT action game w. turn-based timeline.

#gamedev #indiedev
October 2, 2024 at 7:53 PM
ahck.bsky.social
Stumbled upon videos from my old gamejam project. Inspired by the baserunners in Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak. You control one giant vehicle with a ton of abilities and try to survive. Indirect controls ala ship sims, physics on all units, ability to pause at any time. Fun times!
#gamedev #indiegame
September 27, 2024 at 11:31 PM
ahck.bsky.social
Ayy I'm sleebin' here
Photo of a white spotted tabby cat peeking from behind a curtain. The cat is lying on his side in a window hammock and has a smug expression.
September 26, 2024 at 11:48 AM